Improvement in fire-proof roofs



SAMUELSMHTH.

lmprovemerit in Fire Proof Roofs. No. 124,767. PatentedMarchl9,1 872.

- M are the abutmenttiles.

SAMUEL SMITH, or MATTOON, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-PROOF ROOFS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 124,767, dated March 19, 1872.

Specification describing a new and useful Improvement in Fire-Proof Roofs, invented by SAMUEL SMITH, of Mattoon, in the county of Goles and State of Illinois.

This invention relates to the construction of roofs of buildings, with a viewof making them not only durable and fire-proof, but a support to the side walls of the building; andit consists in an arch, constructed as hereinafter more fully described.

In the accompanying drawing, Figurel is a vertical section on the line a: a: of Fig. 2, showin g a roof constructed according to my invention. Fig.2 is a top View, showing the roof and walls of the building. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of Fig. 2 taken on the line 3/ 3/- Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts.

A A represent the side walls of a brick or 'stone building. B B are the end walls. 0 is the arch, composed of tiles D,'which look into each other, as seen in Fig. 1, laid so as to break joints with each other, as seen in Fig. 2. D D are bars of angle-iron laid into the wall, as seen in Fig. 1, which form the abutments of the arch. The bed-plate E of these bars extend from. the wall over the joist F; and where wooden joists are used the bars may be spiked or bolted to them, which would serve to support the walls and prevent them from spreading. G represents rods of iron, which pass through the flanges H H of the abutment-bars and form chords to the arch at suitable distances from each other. These chords are protected from the action of heat in case of fire, and prevented from expan ding, and consequently dam aging the arch,

V bymeans of the cylindrical fire-proof tiles or composition I, placed on the chords, and secured thereto in any permanent manner. J I

are the water-gutters ,of the roof, formed by the gutter-tiles and L, the latter of which are laid into the walls, as seen in Fig. 1. M N N are orifices in the end walls B B, for the discharge of the water from the. gutters into the conductorpipes O O. The tiles are'all laid in good cement, and the arch is formed on a temporary skeleton arch of wood, the same as in laying a brick or stone arch. When completed thearch is covered with a coating of mastic or other cement, P, so that the tile will not absorb moisture, and to render the entire roof (with the gutters) perfectly water-proof.

The side walls may be anchored to the angleiron abutments, or to the chords, in any manner, if necessary; but as arranged in the drawin g the walls would, in ordinary cases, be held together and supported in case of fire.

The chords G,'being protected by the fireproof tile orcomposition I, a building provided with this roof cannot be destroyed, as everything combustible inside may burn, but the roof and walls will remain.

The arch may be built on a circle of any ra- I according to the width of the building, so that tiles of the same pattern may be used for all roofs.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A roof composed of the tile-arch O, gutters J J, abutments D D, and chords Gr, substantially as described. I

2. The arrangement of the cylindrical fireproof tiles with the chords G, as and for the purpose specified.

3. The abutmenttile M, as and for the pur poses described.

4.. The gutter-tiles K and L, in combination with the arch G and walls A A, as and for the purposes described.

SAMUEL SMITH.

Vitnesses T. B. MosHER, GEORGE W. MABEE. 

